Tigerclaw's Fury/Chapter 1
Chapter description :Cats in the clearing are hurling insults at a badly wounded Tigerclaw. Blood pulses from a wound on the dark tabby's belly, and a voice in his head screeches that he lost to kittypets and fools. Bluestar asks him if he has anything to say in his own defense, and it is noted that her pelt is covered in blood, her eyes dull and unfocused. Tigerclaw feels a thrill of satisfaction at the sight, knowing he has shattered his leader. He knows this is the end of the she-cat's leadership, even if he had not taken the rest of her lives. The tom begins insulting Bluestar for even asking him if he would defend himself, stating that he would have brought back the days of TigerClan and made ThunderClan great. The she-cat asks how many cats would've had to die for it, and sentences the brown tabby to exile. She gives permission for her warriors to kill Tigerclaw if they see him past sunrise the next day, and the tabby replies that he'd like to see them try. Graystripe yowls that Fireheart beat him, and the dark brown tom turns to look at the ginger cat. He threatens Fireheart, and the tom lashes his tail in reply, saying they could fight any time. Bluestar interrupts the two, demanding for Tigerclaw to leave. :As the tabby shifts his position to stand, a fresh wave of blood floods from his belly wound. Cats in the clearing gasp, but he ignores them. Tigerclaw looks around the assembled ThunderClan cats, claiming that this isn't the end of him, and he'll be a leader someday. He adds that any cat who comes with him will be well looked after, and looks at Darkstripe. The dark tabby reveals that he trusted Tigerclaw, but he doesn't anymore since the brown tabby tom plotted with Brokentail. He denies the wounded tom's request, and Tigerclaw thinks that Darkstripe will pay for being a traitor. Longtail is the next cat the tom looks at, but the pale tabby is horrified at the idea, quickly denying his offer. Tigerclaw thinks that the blue-eyed tom is a coward, and scans the crowd for any other cats that might like to join him. He tells Dustpelt that he'll be better off away from ThunderClan, but the brown tabby brings up Redtail's murder, replying that he'd rather die than follow him. :Bluestar demands once more that Tigerclaw leave, but he promises that he'll be back. He tells Fireheart to watch his back, for one day the dark brown tom will turn him into crow-food. The ginger tom retorts that Tigerclaw will also be crow-food one day, but fear-scent rises from him. The amber-eyed tom stars at Fireheart, thinking that the dark ginger cat will die at his paws. He flicks his tail and begins walking toward the camp entrance, listening to the mewls of his kits in the nursery. Tigerclaw vows to come back for them, for he doesn't want them to be raised in a Clan of weaklings. The voice in his head reminds him that Thistleclaw would've punished him for being beaten by kittypets and a star-crazed old she-cat. He retorts that the gray-and-white tom would never have challenged his leader, and blames Thistleclaw for Bluestar becoming leader. :Tigerclaw walks through the destroyed gorse tunnel, angry that he relied on half-trained rogues to fight for him. The ShadowClan outlaws had disappointed him too; they needed more time to train. The tom thinks that though Brokenstar had been criticized for asking too much of his warriors, he had made ShadowClan feared and powerful. Tigerclaw realizes he and his allies might have won had RiverClan not arrived at the last moment. He wonders why the Clans care about each other so much. The tom comes to the conclusion that Crookedstar's worst fear would be to have Tigerclaw, a cat much stronger than Bluestar, as leader of a neighboring Clan. :Tigerclaw settles down on a patch of moss, grunting in pain. He inspects the wound on his belly, thinking that if Fireheart had really wanted to wound him, he should've gone for the throat. The tom gathers moss and presses it to his wound, imagining the bruised warriors he had left behind. Tigerclaw thinks that if ThunderClan is so willing to listen to a kittypet, they don't deserve the dark tabby as leader. He asks himself how Bluestar had dared exile him, for they owed him everything for all he's done. The tom believes he could have been the best leader ThunderClan had ever known. The voice in Tigerclaw's head tells him that he's better than his father, Pinestar, for he would never abandon his Clanmates to become a kittypet. :The moss on his belly becomes soaked with blood, but Tigerclaw can't find anymore soft green moss nearby. He spots some dry leaf mulch, and scrapes that toward his wound instead, feeling triumph against his surroundings. The tom half sits up, staring into the trees. He realizes there is more than one Clan in the forest, and that his destiny to be leader must lie elsewhere. Tigerclaw will return to ThunderClan to destroy his former Clanmates in battle, and he refuses to lose again. Characters Major }} Minor *Fireheart *Graystripe *Darkstripe *Longtail *Dustpelt *Bramblekit *Tawnykit *Goldenflower }} Mentioned *Redtail *Oakheart *Thistleclaw *Mistyfoot *Leopardfur *Crookedstar *Pinestar }} Important events *Tigerclaw is banished from ThunderClan. Notes and references Category:Stubs Category:Tigerclaw's Fury Category:Chapter subpages Category:Novellas